Redfish activity picks up in the fall
Numerous species of fish are active along North Carolina’s coast throughout November, and Capt. Cameron Pappas of BlackBird Guide Service said redfish are certainly one of them.
“They are very active in the fall, but their patterns definitely deviate from their summer habits,” said Pappas (910-547-9353).
He said it’s pretty easy to pattern redfish this time of year, at least for a few days at a time. But he said the changes in weather, water temperatures and the presence of bait can make it a little tricky as well.
“One of the best parts of this time of year is that the water starts to clear up, which makes sight fishing much easier, and provides some great opportunities for fly fishing as well,” he said.
As long as bait is present, Pappas said anglers will find redfish belly crawling down banks, busting on shrimp and whatever other bait is present. But, he said on some days, they’ll prefer to follow the high tide all the way in, looking for baitfish in the grass.
“My go-to baits for red drum include a 1/8- to 1/16-ounce jighead with a GULP Shrimp, a Z-Man PaddletailZ, or a Ned rig with a creature bait. I also like to use a VUDU Shrimp,” he said.
He fishes these with a 7-foot, medium-light TFO spinning rod paired with a 3000-series spinning reel and 15-pound Power Pro Slick braided line.
“For fly fishing, anything that looks like a shrimp should do just fine,” he said. ■
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